Untitled
by Aki Kaze
Summary: Sorry it's been so long since my last update, the next chapters shouldn't take so long. Pleas contine to r&r and enjoy.
1. ...no feeling meant no pain – a law that...

Untitled

AN- Alright peeps, here goes. I have spent the past three months trying work up the courage to write and post this. ANY reviews that you can give me are welcome. I'll take anything from shameless flattery to helpful suggestions (most preferred) to flames. To be honest with you, I'm not exactly sure where this story is headed, but if I get at least a few helpful reviews, then I'll do my best to finish it. 

  * things in "these" are spoken 
  * things in 'these' are thought 

*DISCLAIMER – I don't own any of the characters and I am making no profit off of this fic*

****

Untitled

(any suggestions for a title would be greatly welcomed)

The only sound she could hear was that of her own labored breath ringing in her ears. Her feet pounded on the hard and unforgiving earth, but she had long ago lost any feeling in them. It was better that way, no feeling meant no pain – a law that had become constant for her in the past years. She had no idea how far she had run, or how much farther she must go before she was truly out of danger. Or perhaps she would never reach that destination where she was utterly and completely safe. Yes, she was quite sure that no such place existed. Then why was she running? If there was no ultimate goal then what was the use of trying to move towards it? You might as well try to capture a dream. 

It was these dismal thoughts that she was concentrating on when earth suddenly seemed to pitch forward. The next coherent observation that crossed her mind was that she was lying on the ground and seemed unable to get back up. Oh well, this spot seemed as good as any to rest upon. She did so want to close her eyes and sleep.

*~*~*~*

"I want to know how those assassins got into the building! You said the security was air tight and yet four armed men were able to waltz right in and open fire!" Deep brown eyes flashed with fire, as they focused on the unfortunate Director of Security. Or, Ex – Director of Security to be more accurate.

"Colonel Une, the weapons that we confiscated from the suspects were made of a highly advanced hybrid of metal that we have never seen before, and was there for undetectable by our sensors. We had no way to know that the suspects were armed."

"The security department is the most highly funded department of the Preventers organization. You have been given vast amounts of resources, labor, and intelligence at your disposal so you could prevent such surprises in terrorist technology. You dare tell me that you had no way of detecting the weaponry."

The young man hung his head, and with obvious remorse responded with a simple "Yes, mam." 

"Dismissed. I'm sure that you are aware of the fact that you shall not be returning to your post tomorrow."

He gave a final salute and exited the room. As the great oak doors shut behind him, Une collapsed into the plush leather office chair. Placing her elbows on the desk, hands folded together and forehead resting on her intertwined fingers, it almost looked as if she was praying. Almost. 

The intercom beeped, startling the wearied woman out of her meditation. She half-heartedly reached out a hand to activate the microphone. 

"What is it, Shelly?"

Her secretary responded, "Sorry to disturb you, Colonel, but the press is asking for a statement from you. Shall I tell them to leave or are you ready to give them some information."

"I have one prepared in writing, please send someone up to retrieve it."

"Yes, mam."

While she was waiting, Une read over the brief letter for the thousandth time. It stated the facts of the previous night, and did not bother to soften the blow with understatements or fancy language. It was the truth, plain and ugly. But it was better to have a well-informed population then one who had rose colored lenses strapped over their eyes.

It read:

__

Citizens of the United Earth Sphere Alliance, 

The events of the night of Saturday, March 15 are as follows-

Vice Foreign Minister, Relena Dorlin, _was attending a charity banquet along with other dignitaries when at around 10:27, four armed men entered the building posing as guests. They were able to get various types of weaponry, including guns and grenades, past all security check points. Three of the terrorists proceeded to the center of the stage where they at once began firing. Preventer agents were able to gun down all three assassins within 30 seconds of the start of the attack. While this was occurring, another terrorist agent cornered Ms. Dorlin at gunpoint and forced her to leave the building with him via a first floor balcony. The abductor was never apprehended, and at this time the whereabouts of Ms. Dorlin are unknown. The casualties of this attack are listed as L-1 Colony Resource Rep. Dr. Mark De'Virre,…………. Others are in the hospital recovering. Rest assured that the Preventers will find the root of these attacks, and quickly and efficiently wipe them out. _

Sincerely,

Colonel Une

*~*~*~*

Duo's attention was separated form the TV screen as the petit form in his arms began to tremble. He silently caressed her hair, trying desperately to think of something to say to comfort his companion. 

"D….do….do you think….do you think that she's….ok?" Hilde's voice cracked on the word 'ok', coming out as a high pitched whimper.

"Lena's a big girl babe, I'm sure…… I'm sure that she'll be fine.

The words were hollow even to himself, sounding like nothing more then an empty echo of hope. 

Hilde just nodded, willing to accept even the most feeble offerings at a happy resolution. 

*~*~*~*

The entire company talked of nothing else, and Cathy was tired of listening to the depressing tale of the massacre. Desperate, she retreated to a secluded spot behind the lion cages, and curling into a protective little ball, allowed herself to mourn for the missing friend and the lost souls. That's where Trowa found her. Truth be told, he was also looking for an escape, but after happening upon his grieving sister, decided to put aside his sorrow for the moment so that he could pacify her.

*~*~*~*

Quatra burred his pale face into his hands, willing the images of the slaughter that had just been displayed on the television to leave his tortured mind. Racking his brain, he tried to think of something, anything, he could do to resolve this dilemma. Money, political power, resources, all of them were at his disposal but he couldn't think of any productive use he could put them to. It was driving him crazy, that blood could be shed, and one of his best friends could be in such danger, but he could have neither stopped the events from occurring nor rectify the damage.

*~*~*~*

Wufei sat, silent and unmoving, glaring at his coffee mug. He really should have been concentrating on the small mountain of paperwork that at present littered his desk, but it went unnoticed. The Preventers badge that rested near by had once been a symbol of pride and honor to him, but now it carried nothing but shame. It displayed the wearer as being part of the incompetent force that was too weak to protect the leaders of peace. At least, that's how he saw it. 

Sally walked into the office, but due to her partner's unwavering concentration on his beverage, she was able to stand behind him undetected for several minutes. Deciding that the poor coffee had received enough punishment for one day, she quietly cleared her throat.

"Ahem." No answer. 

"Ahem!"

"COUGH, COUGH." 

At this rather aggressive display of vocalization, Wufei whipped around and answered with an annoyed "What do you want."

"Nice to see you too," the blond answered icily. "I came to offer you a position on the search and recover team that will be mobilized in two hours to locate and retrieve Ms. Dorlin. 

"Accepted."

"What a surprise."

*~*~*~*

The locks surrounding the Preventers data system were nothing short of pathetic. True, his extensive hacking skills did give him an advantage over the rest of the population, but still. If he could get in, then it was possible for someone with military intentions to access the data as well. 'It's laxity like this that got us into trouble in the first place.'

The man skimmed through the information, noting the extensive search that was being organized to locate Dorlin. 'At least they have their priorities straight.' A brief mental debate commenced in is mind, trying to decide whether he should work with the Preventers as an agent as he sometimes did, or act alone. In the past, his dealings with the organization had been to help track down weapons stores, investigate potential threats to peace, mundane things like that. This situation was different though. Peace had not only been threatened, it had been kidnapped as well. The annoying red tape that came with aiding the Preventers would only get in his way on this operation. By acting alone he would have a better success rate. Mission Accepted.


	2. She had killed him.

The reviews that I've received for this fic have been amazingly encouraging

The reviews that I've received for this fic have been amazingly encouraging. Thank you so much for all of your kindness, and please continue to give me feedback. 

*Disclaimer- not mine, no $ being made (damn)* 

****

There's No Such Thing as a Happy Ending

(working title, tell me what u think)

"Will someone please explain to me how a PASIFIST princess managed to over power a TRAIND SOILDER and escape into a god damn forest!!" The officer smashed his gigantic fist onto a nearby desk, causing the wood to splinter and crack. This show of force only served to heighten the already immense aura of power and strength that surrounded him. 

"Well sir, the uhhh, details surrounding the prisoner's, umm, escape are a bit, well, sketchy. 

"Define 'sketchy'."

With a sigh the private continued, "We have absolutely no clue how Ms. Dorlin escaped. Agent Bottica, whom was in-charge of her capture, was found stabbed to death by one of our ground squadrons about 2,000 meters from the designate rendezvous point. The entire area is surrounded by dense forest - therefor it can only be assumed that after…..dispatching Bottica, the prisoner then proceeded find some sort of hiding place in the woods.

"It's lucky that our own men found that pathetic excuse of a soldier instead of those idiotic Preventers. At least this way, the public still sees Relena Dorlin as missing and possibly dead."

"So you're saying that all we have to do is locate and detain the princess before she is able to get out of the forest."

"Easier said then done. Have units 2, 4, and 13 given orders to search the area within a ten-kilometer radius of the original abduction point. This will be a covert operation, as the area is likely to be crawling with Preventers."

"Sir!"

*~*~*~*

Relena could feel the peaceful haze of unconsciousness lift off her body, and momentarily mourned the loss of comfort. Within seconds she was aware of her senses, one by one, being activated, as she unwillingly tumbled from the cocoon of darkness that had sheltered her for God only knew how long. Slowly, her eyelids parted, and after blinking several times, she began attempting to focus her blurred vision. 

'Thing. In front. Big. Fluffy. Bush? Yes, bush. Larger thing. Tall. Thick. Black. No, brown. Hmmm. Tree! Many trees. Forest. Dark. Night time? Yes.'

This primitive thought process went on for fifteen minutes or so, until the princess had fully established that she was in a forest, at night, alone, cold, and had the head ache from hell. She also noted that she seemed to be dressed in formal attire, although what had possessed her to don a ball gown and go tromping about in the woods she was not sure. The three-inch pumps didn't seem to have helped her situation much either. Noticing the broken heel on her left shoe, and the rather large log at her feet, Relena correctly surmised that she had tripped and knocked herself out. 

All of these conclusions lead to the obvious question of 'Why the hell am I here?'

~ Flash Back ~

Gunshots. Screams. Crimson Life that soaked all available surfaces until everything and everyone seemed to be drenched in scarlet. A man pulled her aside, and she could feel the cold metal of a gun being pressed to her throat. He then pushed her onto a nearby balcony, and after seizing her in his strong arms, jumped off and landed gracefully on the lawn below. He didn't even bothered to put her down as he sprinted off into the nearby woods. Luckily for Relena, she managed to keep some wits about her during the ordeal, and remembered the knife that was hidden in the bodice of her gown. The Preventers had insisted that she carry a concealed weapon at all times on her person, for just such an emergency. At the time she had reluctantly accepted the offer, but now she was deeply grateful to who ever came up with the brilliant idea. 

It took her a while to get the knife free, because she had to make small and slow movements as to not alert her captor of her intentions. After the most tense ten minutes of her life, she finally managed to work the six inch blade out of it's sheath. The kidnapper was still carrying her maiden-style, so it didn't take much effort to drive the weapon into his stomach. After the initial attack, the man dropped her and clutched his gut with one hand, the other reaching for his gun. She didn't give him a chance to retaliate, slicing the knife across his chest and puncturing the heart. He fell to the ground, gasping and coughing. She stood, horrified, and watched him die. She had killed him. She then did the only rational thing she could think of - run. 

~ End Flash Back ~

She could still smell the sickening stench of death that had clung to his corpse. The desperate look that distorted his features during his last moments was fresh in her mind. She might have been able to run away from his physical body, but she would never escape the scene mentally. His blood, his soul, would forever haunt her, until the day that Death mercifully decided to end her struggles. 

'Then why aren't I crying? A man lies dead because of me, and all I can do is stare at my hands, the hands of a murderer. I should be mourning him - it would be the right thing to do, the _human_ thing to do. But then again, I haven't felt human for a long time.' 

*~*~*~*

Something was ringing in the background, jarring poor Quatre from a much-needed nap. After a second of delirium, he recognized the annoying sound as that of the vid-phone and reached out a hand to answer it. 

"Hello?" the blond muttered, failing to keep the fatigue out of his voice. 

"Hey man, did I wake you up?"

Quatre perked up a little at the sound of his old friend's voice. "Duo! Hi, how are you doing?"

"About as good as can be expected, well, considering…." The braided pilot made no attempt to infuse his tone with it's usual cheerfulness. 

"Yeah" 

"Listen, I've been talking to Trowa, and we both feel like we can't just sit on our asses and watch this thing play out. Can I assume that you feel the same way?"

"Of course I do Duo, but what can we do to help? It'd be pointless to try to locate and fight the terrorist organization by ourselves. We may be gundam pilots but we can't take down an entire army with just three men. My company has given the Preventers a $20 million donation to help fund the effort, but aside from financial, I see no other aide we can give."

"But these acts of violence could bring on another war, and I _refuse _to stand back and watch the call to arms go out once again. We worked so hard to get peace, there has to be something we can do to help maintain it."

Quatre closed his eyes and sighed. "If only Ms. Relena were still here." The words escaped his mouth before he had time to consider the consequences they might render. 

"God help me, I'll be the last one to give up hope on her still being alive, but we have to assume the worst." For a second it looked like a tear might escape his violet eyes, but Duo managed to blink it back. 

"Have you contacted Heero or Wufei yet?" It was a desperate attempt to steer the conversation off the tender subject of their possibly-fallen friend. 

"Wufei is with the Preventers, so I'm sure he's doing all he can already. As for Heero, I have no idea what corner of the universe he's stashed himself into." 

"Well, wherever he is, I think we can bet on the fact that that he's not laying down and taking this situation quietly."

"Naturally." 

*~*~*~*

"Damn it!!!" 

In a _very _rare display of emotion, Heero slammed his fist onto the ill-fated laptop, shattering it to pieces. It was just no good, he couldn't find _any_ records of this new organization. No files, no data bases, no phone calls, not even a stupid email. He sat with his head in his hands, brooding over his next steps. If there was no info on the threat, there was no way to determine the threat's weak spot. With out a weak spot, he had no efficient way to penetrate them. If he couldn't penetrate them, he couldn't rescue Rele……retrieve the hostage. If he couldn't retrieve the hostage then…….? What would happen if Relena never returned to her position as Vice Foreign Minister? Well, that was simple: peace would crumble, wars would start, and he…..he would be forced to give up the little humanity he had left.

The direct approach didn't seem to be working too well, much to his dismay. 'If I'm gonna be of any use, it'll have to be as an agent with the Preventers.' Heero took a moment to swallow his ever-present pride, and then proceeded to contact Colonel Une. 

*~*~*~*

"Noin, you'll get out of my way if you know what's best for you."

"And you'll put that suitcase down if you don't want to spend an eternity sleeping on the couch."

The threat hit it's mark, causing the 'unbendable' Zechs Marquees to relent in his desperate race to the shuttle hanger. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't get on the next flight to Earth."

"I'll give you two hot shot. First of all, _were on Mars_ - by the time you get to the stupid planet, this whole ordeal will have probably been neutralized. And secondly, even if you do get there in time, what help can you offer that hasn't already been provided. The Preventers have five very pissed gundam pilots and a whole slew of highly trained soldiers that are all willing to lay down their lives to protect the Peace."

"It's not Peace that I'm worried about, it's Relena." 

"So _now _you decide to step in and be the heroic big brother." Zechs didn't miss the venom in his wife's voice as she made this statement.

"What's that supposed to mean?" If he hadn't been such a skilled man with masks, hurt would have been openly displayed on his stony features. 

"Ever since the Marie Maya incident, you've been hiding on this God forsaken rock with your tail between your legs, shifting the entire burden of ruling the Cinq Kingdom and protecting Peace onto Relena. You refuse to talk to her, write her, even send her a card on her birthday, but now that she's in actual physical danger, your more than ready to come galloping in on your white steed and save the day."

"It's more complicated than that, I thought you of all people would understand."

"UNDERSTAND?!?. I may not get whatever deep emotional meaning you have for ignoring your own flesh and blood, but I'll tell you what I _do_ understand. I understand the hurt look that poor girl gets whenever she asks to speak with you, and I have to make up some lame excuse about how your busy with the terriformation project. I understand the long, heart felt letters that Relena takes time out of her day to write that you won't even glance at. I understand that she's begging for somebody to care, but you just duck behind the assumption that you're not 'pure enough to associate with her'. Bull Shit, she doesn't want purity, she wants love, and that's something you've been unwilling to offer."

For a second, pain flashed in the Lightning Count's eyes, but it was quickly and efficiently hidden. In a seemingly indifferent tone, he responded, "Well, now that we've gotten that little speech out of our way, would you be so kind as to step aside - I don't want to miss my flight."

"I don't know why I even bother."

"Neither do I."


	3. The words were neither kind nor beautifu...

"Ms 

This has been sitting on my disk for a week or so, but because of the ff.net problem I couldn't get it out earlier. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review, I NEED feedback. That said, on with the show, er… fanfic.

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There's No Such Thing As a Happy Ending

(still a working title, tell me what u think)

"Ms. Cadilonia, …"

"Ms. Cadilonia, can you…"

"Will there be any…."

"MS. CADILONIA…"

Dorothy darted into the large black limo, grateful to have escaped the barrage of questions. As soon as the vehicle was out of photo range from the crowd, she allowed the composed, diplomatic facade to drop, causing her fatigue and weariness to become visible. 

The ride back to the Cinq Kingdom palace was mercifully short. Any longer and the soft rocking motion of the car would have lulled the blond to sleep, and she couldn't walk into Une's meeting looking tired and mussed. 'Appearances are everything when one is a public figure, and we must keep them up to ensure that the masses do not become any more panicked then they already are. Of course, the general feel of tension is understandable - a day and a half ago, the single, most influential human being in existence was ripped from her people, and the first military threat in three years became known. The future seems to have lost all of the brilliant hope and happiness that it once possessed.' With a sigh, she yet again donned the mask of grace and confidence, and prepared to give still another political performance. 'Just how Ms. Relena put up with all of this crap is beyond me.'

*~*~*~*

Wufei massaged his temples, and tried for the hundredth time to get comfortable on the impossibly hard wooden chair he was sitting in. A quick glance at his partner revealed that she was having no more luck with the furniture than he was. After allowing his gaze to hover there for a fleeting moment, he then focused his attention on the group of dignitaries that sat in the audience rows of the palace lecture hall. 'I _hate _public speaking.' 

"When are we gonna get this meeting started? We have better things to do than sit here and stare at the décor."

Sally had to stifle a laugh at the annoyed outburst from one of the representatives. 

The Colonel, on the other hand, was much less amused. However, she was forced to swallow her anger and use much milder words than her strained resolve demanded. "The meeting will commence once Ms. Cadilonia arrives. Until then, I guess you'll just have to sit back and admire the color scheme. 

Sarcasm was a rare thing from the former OZ soldier, and when it did pop up, it always signaled a _very_ bad mood. The audience of course did not know this, and taking her words as an attempt at humor, politely chuckled. 

Another agonizing two minutes and eleven seconds passed before Dorothy paraded onto the stage, joining Une and the pair of Preventers. "My apologies for being late, the press conference lasted longer then I predicted."

Choosing to ignore the excuse, Une motioned for her to have a seat in one of the afore-mentioned chairs from hell. In a commanding voice, she made a short speech, stating that the purpose of this meeting was to inform the respective leaders of the various colonies and terrestrial sectors of the events at hand, both militarily and politically. That said, she asked the Chang-Poe team to take the mic and give their report. 

Sally stepped up to the podium, while Wufei stood behind and a little to her left. "I am sure that we are all quite aware of the details surrounding that faithful night a day and a half ago. The events of March 15 have placed the Preventers in a position that is far form desirable - and that is the role of God. My organization is left with two jobs. One - to uncover and destroy the group responsible for the attacks, and two - to locate and retrieve Vice Foreign Minister Relena Dorlin. Unfortunately, the immensity of these tasks has forced us to prioritize, and naturally the elimination of a major threat must come before the safety of a single individual. We launched an initial search of the surrounding area for Ms. Dorlin twelve hours after the attack, but as we came back with nothing, we have to assume that she is in the possession of our enemies. All of our attentions are now focused on the neutralization of the terrorist threat, as they rightfully should be." 

Nobody could have ever guessed from the decisive tone of Sally's voice, that being forced to say that they had given up all hope of finding her friend was shredding her to pieces. They would never know that when she was alone at her desk, she would push the files aside for a moment and just cry. When she carried that badge, she was a Preventer - calculating and unfeeling, but under the armor, she was human too. 

After the ex-soldier had said her piece, Une asked Ms. Cadilonia to step up. 

"Like you, I am a politician. And, like you, I am very much aware of the fact that to be a successful political figure, one must not only have good intentions for the people, but also know how to manipulate them into seeing your views. I know that statement sounds cruel and harsh, but in your hearts every one of you knows it's true. If you hadn't realized that by now, then you wouldn't be seated here today. The fact stands that although a single person is smart, _people _are dumb, panicky animals* and therefore need select individuals to ensure their welfare. While the protection of peace has been a group effort involving everyone in this room, the public needed a hero to focus on and follow. It doesn't take too much intelligence to realize that Ms. Relena was that hero. Now, the embodiment of Peace has been snatched away in the first offensive military action in the three years since Marie Maya's coup de'tat. This understandably leaves the public thinking that peace itself was taken with her. While the Preventers battle on the physical front, we - the leaders of the people- must battle on the psychological front and reassure the masses that although Ms. Relena is gone, her ideals of harmony and understanding are all but dead." 

The words were neither kind nor beautiful, but then again, most truths aren't. 

A brief question and answer segment followed the speeches, and then the informal assembly adjourned. 

*~*~*~*

Three silent figures stood in the shadows of a balcony that over looked the stage. Nobody but Une, who had requested their presence, and the two Preventers knew that they had observed the meeting. After the representatives had filed out, and Dorothy had departed to the upper offices of the palace, they descended onto the stage. 

"Well, that was a boat load of fun."

"You didn't come here to be entertained, Duo. You came to assist the Preventers." Lady Une didn't even try to hide the irritation in her voice.

"Ok, point taken, but before we get orders, answer one thing for me - was Dorothy _always _such a tight-ass? I mean that whole 'people are dumb' spiel really got on my nerves."

"Regardless of weather or not we personally agree with her methods, she's doing an effective job of keeping the public from panicking," the Colonel defended.

"Yea, by means of opium."

"You are here, Mr. Maxwell, to aid the Preventers in combating the threat and finding Dorlin, not to oversee public relations."

"Whatever."

"_Anyways,_" Une continued, turning to face the remainder of Team Alpha, consisting of Heero, Trowa, Wufei, and Sally. "If you would be so kind as to follow me into the back room, I'll show you what we have so far."

The five followed her into a large room that was located behind the back of the stage, in which a large table and six chairs were set up. To Wufei and Sally's delight, the chairs actually had padding. After everyone had been seated, Lady Une began.

"We have had some of the best computer experts known (all eyes turned to the stoic Japanese pilot) searching for any files or databases that could be linked to the terrorist threat. Unfortunately, it appears that we are dealing with some highly trained enemies. Absolutely no trace of them was found, indicating that they have invented some other means of communication that is unknown to us. Also, they weaponry that was taken off the captured individuals was of a new hybrid of steel and gundanium, which is how they were able to get them through metal detecting security check points. All of this shows that the group had been planning their strike for a very long time, and are probably ready to hit again."

A few minutes of silent contemplation followed, broken by Trowa's calm voice. "It's my understanding that the agents that opened fire at the banquet were taken alive. Did they give us any info under interrogation."

"Unfortunately no. As soon as they were left alone in hospital rooms to recover from the gunshot wounds, every single one of them committed suicide by hanging themselves with electrical cords."

It was Heero's turn to comment, "So whatever fucked up cause these people think they are supporting, they are willing to die for it."

"Sounds a lot like how you boys were back in the Eve Wars," Sally remarked, a slight frown of remembrance marring her features. 

"Yea, but I'd like to think our reasons for fighting were a little less 'fucked up', as Heero so kindly put it," Duo said with a nervous chuckle. 

Another silence fell over the gathering, but this time each soldier was looking inside themself, and trying to find justification for the blood that they had spilt. Wufei was the first to regain his resolve, and did his best to help dispel his comrades' doubts by voicing his conclusion. "Our path was righteous, and I'm not sorry for what we did." The firmness and conviction in his voice gave strength to the simple statement, making it drown the uncertainties that nagged all their souls. 

Une shook herself from her private memories, and continued. "We have no leads, absolutely no clue on how to start, and the threat has made no attempt to contact us for ransom or demands. I was hoping to get some ideas from you guys, seeing as how you're the best there is and all." 

"Do we have _any_thing working to our advantage?" The worry was thick in Sally's voice. 

"Actually yes, Mr. Winner has given us full access to any supplies or financial aid that his company might provide."

"Speaking of Q-man, why isn't he here? We could've had a gundam reunion or something," Duo asked, attempting to inject his trademark humor. 

"It wouldn't look right if the head of the largest anti-weaponry company in existence, suddenly took up arms to fight terrorists. Ex pilot or no, he is one of the leading advocators of peace," Trowa offered.

"His company also is a major producer of raw metals. We could ask him if any of his clients ever ordered a large shipment of steel and gundanium." Sally suggested.

"Already been done, there were no outstanding orders of any kind in the past three years."

"Hmm."

The meeting continued on for hours, while the attendants tried to come up with an effective plan.

*~*~*~*

Yet again, the unwelcome light forced it's way into her battered psyche. Relena attempted to move her hand in front of her eyes, but found that her arm was just too heavy to lift. Sighing, she slid open her lids and was met with rays of shimmering sun filtering through the trees. In any other circumstance she would have taken a moment to admire the way that the light seemed to be tangible ribbons of gold, and how under it's caress, nature had assumed an ethereal glow. But, it just so happened that she was in a lot of pain at that particular moment, and just wanted to crawl back into sweet sleep. 

After ten minutes of lying motionless, it became apparent that she was going to have to bear consciousness for a while. 'Might as well try to haul myself up and see if I can get out of here.' With new-found determination, Relena planted her hands on either side of her torso and attempted to raise herself off her stomach and onto her knees. It took a few tries but she finally succeeded. She then grabbed a nearby branch and used it to pull herself up onto wobbly feet. Deciding that going shoeless would be better than trying to walk on spike heels, she kicked off the little white torture chambers. Looking down, she caught sight of the red stains that flowed along the front of her gown. 'Blood. His blood.' Her hands were covered in it too. 'I need to find somewhere to wash this stuff off.' Mission in mind, she slowly set out. 

*That was a quote that I heard in Men In Black and I thought it fit Dorothy perfectly.


End file.
